The fun will never end with these simple purple marshmallows shaped like the one and only: Lumpy Space Princess! Use them for s’mores, add them to hot chocolates, or even dip them in a chocolate fountain. The possibilities are endless for these LSP shaped treats! Feeling sassy? Me too.
Contents
The Bake
One of my favourite characters in Adventure Time is Lumpy Space Princess. One quick search on the internet proves that I’m not alone in that sentiment. So, who better to inspire my Adventure Time themed purple marshmallows than LSP herself?
Like my Shrek cookies; Soot Sprite cookie dough bites and my Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pineapple turnovers, these purple marshmallows make great sweet treats for a themed party!
I love marshmallows but it’s been quite the experience trying to make them myself.
Trying my hand at making dishes that I haven’t made before is something I enjoy, even when it fails once or twice until I get it right.
Marshmallows are an interesting treat to make when you are vegetarian. I don’t want regular gelatin in my marshmallows, but I’m happy to add the egg white. Having researched quite a lot whilst concocting this recipe, I have discovered what works, as well as what doesn’t.
The recipes I consulted when researching include this one by British household name James Martin, this one using regular gelatin by The Flavor Bender, as well as a few vegan recipes to compare like this one by Jessica in the Kitchen.
This recipe is written to include methods using regular gelatin or agar-agar powder.
I’ll say it now: “Vege-gel” is not suitable for making veggie marshmallows. Just trust me on that. To make marshmallows veggie or vegan friendly, agar-agar powder is what you want to get instead.
Agar-agar powder is made from seaweed and can act as a straight swap for regular gelatin, so no extra maths is involved.
To make marshmallows, you start by making the syrup.
Whilst that’s cooking, you can prepare other elements of the marshmallow like setting the gelatin up to bloom (or mixing the agar-agar), and lining and dusting your tin.
Bring the syrup and gelatin together, do plenty of whisking while adding some flavour and colour, then it’s a case of waiting for it to set. It’s simple enough so long as you pay attention to the important details like temperature and texture!
You can make marshmallows without liquid glucose [also known as corn syrup or glucose syrup], but including it means far less stress. The point of including this is to prevent the sugar syrup from caramelising whilst it’s cooking. I really, really advise adding it in to save yourself the added stress!
The egg white is optional, but it provides a really nice texture.
You can still make delicious marshmallow without the egg white, so if that’s an issue in terms of allergies or preferences, absolutely omit it. You don’t need to substitute it.
Otherwise, I recommend keeping it in for an extra boost in the end result texture.
Flavour wise, you can add whatever extract you like!
The easiest way to do this is by adding an extract. I stuck to vanilla marshmallows for this recipe because it’s a classic.
Other flavours you can use are peppermint, orange, lemon, chocolate, almond… there are so many flavours you can get in extract form now, it’s kind of nuts. You can even choose what flavour you go for based on the vibe of your Adventure Time party!
Top Tips
- Be sure to line your tin and dust the greaseproof paper with icing sugar and cornflour. You don’t want your marshmallows sticking to anything they shouldn’t!
- The temperature that you want your sugar syrup to reach is 116°C [240°F]. You can still make marshmallows without a sugar thermometer. To do this, have a small jug or bowl with cold water ready. After the first five minutes of cooking, take a small amount of syrup and drop it into the water. If it makes a clear shape in the water and you can roll it into a firm but pliable ball, it’s ready. If the ball is very soft, it needs a few more minutes. If the ball is pretty hard and not easily pliable, it’s a little overdone but still usable. You can add a little hot water to the syrup to bring the temperature down and “re-cook” it if you want to make sure the consistency is spot on.
- Agar-agar powder is an ideal straight swap option if you want to replace the gelatin with a veggie/vegan friendly alternative. Be sure to get powder, not flakes, as they measure out differently. You can find agar-agar powder online or at specialist health shops.
- Be sure to allow your marshmallow to set at room temperature, not in the fridge. The time that your marshmallow takes to set can vary depending on the thickness and the amount of marshmallow you are setting. The thicker it is, the longer it can take. The time it took for the marshmallow I made using this recipe was around six hours.
- You can use a slightly larger pan for thinner marshmallows if you prefer!
- Marshmallows made without egg can last at least six months if kept in an airtight container. Marshmallows made with egg will last up to one week in an airtight container. Either make a great addition to an Adventure Time party food spread!
Marshmallows are like nothing else. They may not be the first thing you think of to make for your Adventure Time themed event, but LSP would demand she be part of it in one delicious way or another. Why not in marshmallow form? Follow the steps carefully and you’ll be as good as gold (or lilac?). Enjoy!
Happy baking, happy eating!
The Recipe
Ingredients
Prep:
- 1 tbsp icing [confectioners] sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
Purple marshmallows:
- 310g caster or granulated sugar
- 90 ml water
- 2 tbsp liquid glucose [corn syrup/glucose syrup]
- 4½ tsp agar-agar powder or gelatin
- 90 ml water for the gelatin/agar-agar
- Pinch of sea/rock salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg white optional
- Liquid purple food colouring
Decoration:
- Black food colouring/paint
- Yellow candy star sprinkles
- Icing [confectioners] sugar for coating
Makes: 20 shaped marshmallows using a 1.5 inch flower cookie cutter
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Setting time: at least 6 hours
Decorating time: 10 minutes
Method
Prep:
- Line an 8 x 8 inch square tin with greaseproof paper and dust lightly with icing sugar and a tbsp of cornflour. Set aside.
- Clean a mixing bowl and whisk attachment with lemon juice or white wine vinegar to remove any grease. Using this whisk attached to an electric mixer, whisk the egg white in the cleaned mixing bowl until it has reached stiff peaks. Set aside for now.
Syrup:
- Put the caster sugar, 90 ml of water and liquid glucose in a saucepan and stir until it is all combined. Turn the heat up to medium – high to bring to the boil. Swill the saucepan around every now and again to distribute the heat evenly.
- Once the syrup is boiling, turn the heat down to medium and put a lid over the saucepan. Leave to cook for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, check that there are no sugar crystals around the side of the saucepan. If there are sugar crystals, place the lid back over the saucepan for another 2 minutes and allow the condensation to wash down the sugar crystals.
- While the syrup is cooking, pour the other 90 ml of water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin/agar-agar over it. Give it a quick mix with a fork and leave to bloom for at least 10 minutes.
- Once there are no crystals left around the side of your saucepan, leave the syrup to cook over a medium heat until it has reached 116°C [240°F] according to a sugar thermometer.
- To test if the syrup is ready without a thermometer, leave to cook for 5 minutes and then add a small amount of the syrup to a small jug or bowl with cold water in. If the syrup turns into a clear shape in the water and you can form a firm but pliable ball with it in your hands, it’s ready. If it can be flattened immediately, it’s too soft so check again after 5 minutes. If it is hard and barely pliable, it’s a little overdone but still usable. It should be ready after about 10 minutes of cooking. See the Top Tips section for more information on this.
- Once the syrup is ready, remove from the heat and take off the lid. Allow the bubbles to dissipate.
Purple marshmallows:
- Whilst whisking on a low – medium speed, pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl with the gelatin mix. Pouring it down the side of the bowl and not directly into the gelatin/agar-agar mix avoids scorching. Whisk on a medium – high speed to combine the syrup and gelatin/agar-agar, then continue whisking until the mixture is white and light and has doubled in size (around 5 minutes).
- Add the salt and vanilla extract and whisk in. Drop in some of the purple food colouring – start light and add as you whisk if necessary. You can add more later.
- If using it, whisk in the egg white you whisked to stiff peaks earlier.
- Spoon the marshmallow mixture into your lined tin and smooth over with a well oiled spatula. Leave to set for at least four hours at room temperature. Mine took about 6 hours to set fully. It can take less or more time, depending on the thickness of your marshmallow, especially if you are making more than the recipe stated.
- Once set, oil a flower shaped cookie cutter (oil multiple sizes if desired) and use it to cut out pieces of marshmallow. Be sure to clean and oil your cookie cutter(s) in between each marshmallow to avoid ripping as much as possible.
- Toss the marshmallows in a small amount of icing sugar, brush off the excess with your finger and then store in an airtight container until ready to decorate.
- When ready to decorate, use a thin paint brush or cocktail stick to carefully paint LSP’s facial detail on each marshmallow piece with the black food paint. Finish by sticking a yellow star to the forehead area of each purple marshmallow.
These fun and simple LSP inspired purple marshmallows are perfect for your Adventure Time themed party or event. If made without egg, they can be kept in an airtight container for at least 6 months. If made with egg, they are best eaten within 1 week of making them. They don’t need to be refrigerated but feel free to do so. Use them for s’mores, hot chocolates, chocolate fountain treats or just nibble on them in their natural(?) form. Enjoy!
The TV Show
Adventure Time is pretty iconic in the world of cartoons.
The show first aired in 2010, introducing us to Jake the Dog and Finn the Human and taking us along with them on their nutty adventures until 2018.
Creator Pendleton Ward, along with his fellow writers, a whole team of directors and a huge creative department did not hold back on the surreal elements.
The story follows twelve year old human, Finn, and his best mate and magical canine companion, Jake, as they venture continuously out into the futuristic world in which they reside.
The voice cast is led by the likes of John DiMaggio, Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob fans, are you there?), Hynden Walch, Niki Yang, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Little, Olivia Olsen and more.
LSP herself is voiced by the show’s own creator, Pendleton Ward!
The words to describe this show are hard to find, I won’t lie. It’s kind of one you need to see to understand… and even then, understanding it might be a stretch. That’s not really the point, though.
It’s full of lovable, quirky characters who go on fun and nutty adventures. What more would you need?
Recipe Card
LSP Purple Marshmallows | Adventure Time
Ingredients
Prep:
- 1 tbsp icing [confectioners] sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
Purple marshmallows:
- 310 g caster or granulated sugar
- 90 ml water
- 2 tbsp liquid glucose [corn syrup/glucose syrup]
- 4½ tsp agar-agar powder or gelatin
- 90 ml water for the gelatin/agar-agar
- Pinch of sea/rock salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg white optional
- Liquid purple food colouring
Decoration:
- Black food colouring/paint
- Yellow candy star sprinkles
- Icing [confectioners] sugar for coating
Instructions
Prep:
- Line an 8 x 8 inch square tin with greaseproof paper and dust lightly with icing sugar and a tbsp of cornflour. Set aside.
- Clean a mixing bowl and whisk attachment with lemon juice or white wine vinegar to remove any grease. Using this whisk attached to an electric mixer, whisk the egg white in the cleaned mixing bowl until it has reached stiff peaks. Set aside for now.
Syrup:
- Put the caster sugar, 90 ml of water and liquid glucose in a saucepan and stir until it is all combined. Turn the heat up to medium – high to bring to the boil. Swill the saucepan around every now and again to distribute the heat evenly.
- Once the syrup is boiling, turn the heat down to medium and put a lid over the saucepan. Leave to cook for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, check that there are no sugar crystals around the side of the saucepan. If there are sugar crystals, place the lid back over the saucepan for another 2 minutes and allow the condensation to wash down the sugar crystals.
- While the syrup is cooking, pour the other 90 ml of water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin/agar-agar over it. Give it a quick mix with a fork and leave to bloom for at least 10 minutes.
- Once there are no crystals left around the side of your saucepan, leave the syrup to cook over a medium heat until it has reached 116°C [240°F] according to a sugar thermometer.
- To test if the syrup is ready without a thermometer, leave to cook for 5 minutes and then add a small amount of the syrup to a small jug or bowl with cold water in. If the syrup turns into a clear shape in the water and you can form a firm but pliable ball with it in your hands, it’s ready. If it can be flattened immediately, it’s too soft so check again after 5 minutes. If it is hard and barely pliable, it’s a little overdone but still usable. It should be ready after about 10 minutes of cooking. See the Top Tips section for more information on this.
- Once the syrup is ready, remove from the heat and take off the lid. Allow the bubbles to dissipate.
Purple marshmallows:
- Whilst whisking on a low – medium speed, pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl with the gelatin mix. Pouring it down the side of the bowl and not directly into the gelatin/agar-agar mix avoids scorching. Whisk on a medium – high speed to combine the syrup and gelatin/agar-agar, then continue whisking until the mixture is white and light and has doubled in size (around 5 minutes).
- Add the salt and vanilla extract and whisk in. Drop in some of the purple food colouring – start light and add as you whisk if necessary. You can add more later.
- If using it, whisk in the egg white you whisked to stiff peaks earlier.
- Spoon the marshmallow mixture into your lined tin and smooth over with a well oiled spatula. Leave to set for at least four hours at room temperature. Mine took about 6 hours to set fully. It can take less or more time, depending on the thickness of your marshmallow, especially if you are making more than the recipe stated.
- Once set, oil a flower shaped cookie cutter (oil multiple sizes if desired) and use it to cut out pieces of marshmallow. Be sure to clean and oil your cookie cutter(s) in between each marshmallow to avoid ripping as much as possible.
- Toss the marshmallows in a small amount of icing sugar, brush off the excess with your finger and then store in an airtight container until ready to decorate.
- When ready to decorate, use a thin paint brush or cocktail stick to carefully paint LSP’s facial detail on each marshmallow piece with the black food paint. Finish by sticking a yellow star to the forehead area of each purple marshmallow.
Notes
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